Ministry of the Navy of Japan

The was a cabinet-level ministry

Cabinet (government)

A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...

 in the Empire of Japan

Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...

 charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Imperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...

 (IJN). It existed from 1872 to 1945.

History

The Navy Ministry was created in April 1872, along with the Army Ministry, to replace the of the early Meiji government.

Initially, the Navy Ministry was in charge of both administration and operational command of the Imperial Japanese Navy. However, with the creation of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff

Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff

The was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy. In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo.-History:...

 in May 1893, it was left with only administrative functions.

"The ministry was responsible for the naval budget, ship construction, weapons procurement, personnel, relations with the Diet and the cabinet and broad matters of naval policy. The General Staff directed the operations of the fleet and the preparation of war plans".
The post of Navy Minister was politically powerful. Although a member of the Cabinet after the establishment of the cabinet system of government in 1885, the Navy Minister was answerable directly to the Emperor

Emperor of Japan

The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...

 (the commander-in-chief of all Japanese armed forces under the Meiji Constitution

Meiji Constitution

The ', known informally as the ', was the organic law of the Japanese empire, in force from November 29, 1890 until May 2, 1947.-Outline:...

) and not the Prime Minister

Prime Minister of Japan

The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...

.

Up until the 1920s, the Navy Ministry held the upper hand over the Navy General Staff in terms of political influence. However, the officers of the Navy General Staff found an opportunity at the Washington Naval Conference

Washington Naval Conference

The Washington Naval Conference also called the Washington Arms Conference, was a military conference called by President Warren G. Harding and held in Washington from 12 November 1921 to 6 February 1922. Conducted outside the auspices of the League of Nations, it was attended by nine nations...

 in 1921-22 to improve their situation. At this meeting, the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Britain

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 wanted to establish a worldwide naval ratio, asking the Japanese to limit themselves to a smaller navy than the Western powers. The Naval Ministry was willing to agree to this, seeking to maintain the Anglo-Japanese Alliance

Anglo-Japanese Alliance

The first was signed in London at what is now the Lansdowne Club, on January 30, 1902, by Lord Lansdowne and Hayashi Tadasu . A diplomatic milestone for its ending of Britain's splendid isolation, the alliance was renewed and extended in scope twice, in 1905 and 1911, before its demise in 1921...

, but the Navy General Staff refused. The Imperial Japanese Navy became divided into mutually hostile Fleet Faction

Fleet Faction

The was an unofficial and informal political faction within the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 1920s-1930s of officers opposed to the conditions imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty.-Background:...

 and Treaty Faction

Treaty Faction

The was an unofficial and informal political faction within the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 1920s-1930s of officers supporting the Washington Naval Treaty.-Background:...

 political cliques. Ultimately, the treaty was signed by Japan, but terminated in 1934. Through the 1930s, with increasing Japanese militarism

Japanese militarism

refers to the ideology in the Empire of Japan that militarism should dominate the political and social life of the nation, and that the strength of the military is equal to the strength of a nation.-Rise of militarism :...

, the Fleet Faction gradually gained ascendancy over the Treaty Faction and came to dominate the Navy General Staff, which pushed through the attack on Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

 against the resistance of the Navy Ministry.

After 1937, both the Navy Minister and the Chief of the Navy General Staff were members of the Imperial General Headquarters

Imperial General Headquarters

The as part of the Supreme War Council was established in 1893 to coordinate efforts between the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy during wartime...

.

With the defeat of the Empire of Japan

Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...

 in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the Navy Ministry was abolished together with the Imperial Japanese Navy by the American occupation authorities

Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers

Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...

 in November 1945 and was not revived in the post-war Constitution of Japan.

Internally Operating Divisions

• Military Affairs Bureau
• Mobilization Bureau
• Technical Bureau
• Personnel Bureau
• Training Bureau
• Medical Bureau
• Shipyard Bureau
• Naval Construction Bureau
• Legal Bureau
• Administrative/Accounting Bureau

Externally Operating Divisions

• Navy Aviation Bureau
  Imperial Japanese Navy Aviation Bureau
  The Imperial Japanese Navy Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of the Navy of Japan was responsible for the development and training of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service...
  
  
• Navy Academy
• Naval War College (Japan)
  Naval War College (Japan)
  The was the staff college of the Imperial Japanese Navy, responsible for training officers for command positions either on warships, or in staff roles....
  
  
• Naval Accounting School
• Navy Medical School
• Naval Engineering School
• Submarine Division
• Canals and Waterways Division
• Naval Technical Department
  Imperial Japanese Navy Technical Department
  The was the externally operating division of the Ministry of the Navy of Japan responsible for the administration of naval vessel construction. From 1923 onward, it took on the role of a research institution for the research and development of naval technologies and engineering...
  
  
• Naval Tribunal
• Tokyo Naval Tribunal
• Chemical Warfare Division
• Radio and Radar Division
• Supply and Transport Bureau
• Naval Construction Division
• Naval Maintenance & Repair Division
• Special Attack Weapons Division
• Emergency Reaction Division
• Naval Aviation Training Division
• Naval Intelligence Division

Ministers of the Navy of Japan

By law, Navy Ministers had to be appointed from active duty admiral

Admiral

Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...

s or vice-admirals.

Naval Lords under the Ministry of Military Affairs

• Katsu Kaishū
  Katsu Kaishu
  was a Japanese statesman, naval engineer during the Late Tokugawa shogunate and early Meiji period. Kaishū was a nickname which he took from a piece of calligraphy by Sakuma Shōzan. He went through a series of given names throughout his life; his childhood name was and his real name was...
  
  
• Kawamura Sumiyoshi
  Kawamura Sumiyoshi
  Count , was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Kawamura's wife Haru was the aunt of Saigō Takamori.-Biography:A native of Satsuma, Kawamura studied navigation at Tokugawa bakufu naval school at Nagasaki, the Nagasaki Naval Training Center. In 1868, he joined his Satsuma clansmen, and fought...
  
  
• Enomoto Takeaki
  Enomoto Takeaki
  Viscount was a samurai and admiral of the Tokugawa navy of Bakumatsu period Japan, who remained faithful to the Tokugawa shogunate who fought against the new Meiji government until the end of the Boshin War...
  
   (28 February 1880 - 7 April 1881)
• Nakamuta Kuranosuke
  Nakamuta Kuranosuke
  -External links:*- Notes :...
  
  
• Kabayama Sukenori

Naval Ministers under the Meiji Constitution

	Name	Cabinet	From	To
1	Saigō Tsugumichi	1st Itō Ito Hirobumi Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...	22 December 1885	30 April 1888
2	Saigō Tsugumichi	Kuroda Kuroda Kiyotaka , also known as , was a Japanese politician of the Meiji era. He was the second Prime Minister of Japan from 30 April 1888 to 25 October 1889.-As a Satsuma samurai:...	30 April 1888	24 December 1889
3	Saigō Tsugumichi	1st Yamagata Yamagata Aritomo Field Marshal Prince , also known as Yamagata Kyōsuke, was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and twice Prime Minister of Japan. He is considered one of the architects of the military and political foundations of early modern Japan. Yamagata Aritomo can be seen as the father of Japanese...	24 December 1889	17 May 1890
4	Kabayama Sukenori	1st Yamagata Yamagata Aritomo Field Marshal Prince , also known as Yamagata Kyōsuke, was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and twice Prime Minister of Japan. He is considered one of the architects of the military and political foundations of early modern Japan. Yamagata Aritomo can be seen as the father of Japanese...	17 May 1890	6 May 1891
5	Kabayama Sukenori	1st Matsukata Matsukata Masayoshi Prince was a Japanese politician and the 4th and 6th Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:...	6 May 1891	8 August 1892
6	Nire Kagenori Nire Kagenori -External links:* - Notes :...	2nd Itō Ito Hirobumi Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...	8 August 1892	11 March 1893
7	Saigō Tsugumichi	2nd Itō Ito Hirobumi Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...	11 March 1893	11 September 1896
8	Saigō Tsugumichi	2nd Matsukata Matsukata Masayoshi Prince was a Japanese politician and the 4th and 6th Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:...	11 September 1896	12 January 1898
9	Saigō Tsugumichi	3rd Itō Ito Hirobumi Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...	12 January 1898	30 June 1898
10	Saigō Tsugumichi	1st Ōkuma Okuma Shigenobu Marquis ; was a statesman in the Empire of Japan and the 8th and 17th Prime Minister of Japan...	30 June 1898	8 November 1898
11	Yamamoto Gonnohyōe Yamamoto Gonnohyoe , also called Gonnohyōe, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the 16th and 22nd Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:...	2nd Yamagata Yamagata Aritomo Field Marshal Prince , also known as Yamagata Kyōsuke, was a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and twice Prime Minister of Japan. He is considered one of the architects of the military and political foundations of early modern Japan. Yamagata Aritomo can be seen as the father of Japanese...	8 November 1898	19 October 1900
12	Yamamoto Gonnohyōe	4th Itō Ito Hirobumi Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...	19 October 1900	2 June 1901
13	Yamamoto Gonnohyōe	1st Katsura Katsura Taro Prince , was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician and three-time Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:Katsura was born into a samurai family from Hagi, Chōshū Domain...	2 June 1901	7 January 1906
14	Saitō Makoto Saito Makoto Viscount was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, two-time Governor-General of Korea from 1919 to 1927 and from 1929 to 1931, and the 30th Prime Minister of Japan from May 26, 1932 to July 8, 1934.-Early life:...	1st Saionji Saionji Kinmochi Prince was a Japanese politician, statesman and twice Prime Minister of Japan. His title does not signify the son of an emperor, but the highest rank of Japanese hereditary nobility; he was elevated from marquis to prince in 1920...	7 January 1906	14 July 1908
15	Saitō Makoto	2nd Katsura Katsura Taro Prince , was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician and three-time Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:Katsura was born into a samurai family from Hagi, Chōshū Domain...	14 July 1908	30 August 1911
16	Saitō Makoto	2nd Saionji Saionji Kinmochi Prince was a Japanese politician, statesman and twice Prime Minister of Japan. His title does not signify the son of an emperor, but the highest rank of Japanese hereditary nobility; he was elevated from marquis to prince in 1920...	30 August 1911	21 December 1912
17	Saitō Makoto	3rd Katsura Katsura Taro Prince , was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician and three-time Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:Katsura was born into a samurai family from Hagi, Chōshū Domain...	21 December 1912	20 February 1913
18	Saitō Makoto	1st Yamamoto Yamamoto Gonnohyoe , also called Gonnohyōe, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the 16th and 22nd Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:...	20 February 1913	16 April 1914
19	Yashiro Rokurō Yashiro Rokuro - Notes :...	2nd Ōkuma Okuma Shigenobu Marquis ; was a statesman in the Empire of Japan and the 8th and 17th Prime Minister of Japan...	16 April 1914	8 October 1915
20	Katō Tomosaburō Kato Tomosaburo Viscount was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy, cabinet minister, and Prime Minister of Japan from 12 June 1922 to 24 August 1923.-Biography:...	2nd Ōkuma Okuma Shigenobu Marquis ; was a statesman in the Empire of Japan and the 8th and 17th Prime Minister of Japan...	8 October 1915	9 October 1916
21	Katō Tomosaburō	Terauchi Terauchi Masatake , GCB was a Japanese military officer and politician. He was a Field Marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 18th Prime Minister of Japan from 9 October 1916 to 29 September 1918.-Early period:...	9 October 1916	29 September 1918
22	Katō Tomosaburō	Hara Hara Takashi was a Japanese politician and the 19th Prime Minister of Japan from 29 September 1918 to 4 November 1921. He was also called Hara Kei informally. He was the first commoner appointed to the office of prime minister of Japan...	29 September 1918	13 November 1921
23	Katō Tomosaburō	Takahashi Takahashi Korekiyo Viscount was a Japanese politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Japan from 13 November 1921 to 12 June 1922. He was known as an expert on finance during his political career.-Early life :...	13 November 1921	12 June 1922
24	Katō Tomosaburō	Katō Kato Tomosaburo Viscount was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy, cabinet minister, and Prime Minister of Japan from 12 June 1922 to 24 August 1923.-Biography:...	12 June 1922	15 May 1923
25	Takarabe Takeshi Takarabe Takeshi - Notes :...	Katō Kato Tomosaburo Viscount was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy, cabinet minister, and Prime Minister of Japan from 12 June 1922 to 24 August 1923.-Biography:...	15 May 1923	2 September 1923
26	Takarabe Takeshi	2nd Yamamoto Yamamoto Gonnohyoe , also called Gonnohyōe, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and the 16th and 22nd Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:...	2 September 1923	7 January 1924
27	Murakami Kakuichi Murakami Kakuichi - Notes :...	Kiyoura Kiyoura Keigo was a Japanese politician. He was the 23rd Prime Minister of Japan from 7 January 1924 to 11 June 1924, during the period which historians have called the “Taisho Democracy”.- Early life :...	7 January 1924	11 June 1924
28	Takarabe Takeshi	Katō Kato Takaaki Count was a Japanese politician and the 24th Prime Minister of Japan from 11 June 1924 to 28 January 1926. He was also known as Katō Kōmei.- Early life :...	11 June 1924	30 January 1926
29	Takarabe Takeshi	1st Wakatsuki Wakatsuki Reijiro ōBaron was a Japanese politician and the 25th and 28th Prime Minister of Japan. Opposition politicians of the time derogatorily labeled him Usotsuki Reijirō, or "Reijirō the Liar".- Early life :...	30 January 1926	20 April 1927
30	Okada Keisuke	1st Tanaka Tanaka Giichi Baron was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, politician, and the 26th Prime Minister of Japan from 20 April 1927 to 2 July 1929.-Early life and military career:...	20 April 1927	2 July 1929
31	Takarabe Takeshi	Hamaguchi	2 July 1929	3 October 1930
32	Abo Kiyokazu	Hamaguchi	3 October 1930	14 April 1931
33	Abo Kiyokazu	2nd Wakatsuki Wakatsuki Reijiro ōBaron was a Japanese politician and the 25th and 28th Prime Minister of Japan. Opposition politicians of the time derogatorily labeled him Usotsuki Reijirō, or "Reijirō the Liar".- Early life :...	14 April 1931	13 December 1931
34	Ōsumi Mineo	Inukai Inukai Tsuyoshi was a Japanese politician and the 29th Prime Minister of Japan from 13 December 1931 to 15 May 1932.-Early life:Inukai was born to a former samurai family of the Niwase Domain, in Niwase village, Bizen Province , and was a graduate of Keio Gijuku in Tokyo. In his early career, he worked as a...	13 December 1931	26 May 1932
35	Okada Keisuke	Saitō Saito Makoto Viscount was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, two-time Governor-General of Korea from 1919 to 1927 and from 1929 to 1931, and the 30th Prime Minister of Japan from May 26, 1932 to July 8, 1934.-Early life:...	26 May 1932	9 January 1933
36	Ōsumi Mineo	Saitō Saito Makoto Viscount was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, two-time Governor-General of Korea from 1919 to 1927 and from 1929 to 1931, and the 30th Prime Minister of Japan from May 26, 1932 to July 8, 1934.-Early life:...	9 January 1933	8 July 1934
37	Ōsumi Mineo	Okada Keisuke Okada was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, politician and the 31st Prime Minister of Japan from 8 July 1934 to 9 March 1936.-Early life:Okada was born in what is now Fukui Prefecture to an ex-samurai family. He attended the 15th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, graduating 7th out of...	8 July 1934	9 March 1936
38	Nagano Osami	Hirota Koki Hirota was a Japanese diplomat, politician and the 32nd Prime Minister of Japan from March 9, 1936 to February 2, 1937.-Early life:Hirota was born in what is now part of Chūō-ku, Fukuoka city, Fukuoka Prefecture. His father was a stonemason, and he was adopted into the Hirota family. After attending...	9 March 1936	2 February 1937
39	Yonai Mitsumasa	Hayashi Senjuro Hayashi was an Imperial Japanese Army commander of the Chosen Army of Japan in Korea during the Mukden Incident and the invasion of Manchuria, and a Japanese politician and the 33rd Prime Minister of Japan from February 2, 1937 to June 4, 1937.-Biography:...	2 February 1937	4 June 1937
40	Yonai Mitsumasa	1st Konoe Fumimaro Konoe Prince was a politician in the Empire of Japan who served as the 34th, 38th and 39th Prime Minister of Japan and founder/leader of the Taisei Yokusankai.- Early life :...	4 June 1937	5 January 1939
41	Yonai Mitsumasa	1st Hiranuma	5 January 1939	30 August 1939
42	Yoshida Zengo	Abe	30 August 1939	16 January 1940
43	Yoshida Zengo	Yonai	16 January 1940	22 July 1940
44	Yoshida Zengo	2nd Konoe Fumimaro Konoe Prince was a politician in the Empire of Japan who served as the 34th, 38th and 39th Prime Minister of Japan and founder/leader of the Taisei Yokusankai.- Early life :...	22 July 1940	5 September 1940
45	Oikawa Koshirō	2nd Konoe Fumimaro Konoe Prince was a politician in the Empire of Japan who served as the 34th, 38th and 39th Prime Minister of Japan and founder/leader of the Taisei Yokusankai.- Early life :...	5 September 1940	18 July 1941
46	Oikawa Koshirō	3rd Konoe Fumimaro Konoe Prince was a politician in the Empire of Japan who served as the 34th, 38th and 39th Prime Minister of Japan and founder/leader of the Taisei Yokusankai.- Early life :...	18 July 1941	18 October 1941
47	Shimada Shigetarō	Tōjō Hideki Tōjō Hideki Tōjō was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army , the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II, from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944...	18 October 1941	17 July 1944
48	Nomura Naokuni	Tōjō Hideki Tōjō Hideki Tōjō was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army , the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai, and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II, from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944...	17 July 1944	22 July 1944
49	Yonai Mitsumasa	Koiso Kuniaki Koiso - Notes :...	22 July 1944	7 April 1945
50	Yonai Mitsumasa	Suzuki Kantaro Suzuki Baron was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, member and final leader of the Taisei Yokusankai and 42nd Prime Minister of Japan from 7 April-17 August 1945.-Early life:...	7 April 1945	17 August 1945
51	Yonai Mitsumasa	Higashikuni	17 August 1945	9 October 1945
52	Yonai Mitsumasa	Shidehara Kijuro Shidehara Baron was a prominent pre–World War II Japanese diplomat and the 44th Prime Minister of Japan from 9 October 1945 to 22 May 1946. He was a leading proponent of pacifism in Japan before and after World War II, and was also the last Japanese prime minister who was a member of the kazoku...	9 October 1945	1 December 1945

External links

• "Foreign Office Files for Japan and the Far East". Adam Matthew Publications.